This week was called our "Brazilian week".... Not because we talked to
a bunch of Portuguese people, because we did, but we taught so many
lessons like I'm sure they do in Brazil. IT WAS THE BEST!!
We also picked up quite a few investigators this week, 3 of them went
to church. 2 of them are 70 years old and the cutest littlest
Ecuadorean couple, the other is a 40 year old Ecuadorean and he is
really just trying to find the truth. So it was fast and testimony
day... Yes, I testified...... Yes, I cried..... BUT the oldy man and
the younger one apparently bore their own testimonies during
Priesthood too... Yeah we are still picking up our jaws from that one.
Blessings!! Probably going to be the oldest people we baptize on our
missions.
I'm sorry I don't update on all our gators, it is just impossible with
the time I have, but I will tell you about a cool experience we had
with one this week:
Nereda. She is the investigator we picked up who had the picture of
the temple on her wall. She's just awesome and still looking for
something to satisfy her spiritual needs. This week we had a way cool
experience with her. We were sharing the "He is the gift" video (check
it out: christmas.mormon.org) and talking about the plan of salvation.
She had so many great questions like how can she fast the "right" way,
but more importantly how can she pray the right way. One of my
favorite parts of lessons is hearing people pray, it's a beautiful
thing. She was stumbling a little through her prayer laughing at
herself and then she got super quiet and sincere. At the end of the
prayer we say amen and she is crying... She then asked us what the
feeling that she was feeling was....... Never in my entire mission has
one of my investigators received a confirmation that fast. The whole
rest of the night I was thanking Heavenly Father for that experience.
Can you remember the first time you received a confirmation that God
is there and that He is listening to YOU? Wasn't that amazing?
Being with such short time left out here I have been doing a lot of
reflecting.... Like a lot. One thing that keeps sticking out to me is
something a departing missionary had said right when I got here.
"You'll look back at your 18 months and realize He was right there
beside the entire time." Here I am, not quite there yet, but it
couldn't have been more true.He was there filling my mouths with words
of a language I didn't know how to speak. He was there when a random
guy looked me in the eyes and told me there was no such thing as
Joseph Smith. He was there when He watched our investigators enter in
the waters of baptism. He was there every mile when it bought I might
die of heatstroke on my bike. He was there in my successful moments
and gave me strength in my difficult moments. I'm sooooo grateful I
have had this opportunity to walk with Him. And the greatest part?
He's never going to leave me alone, even when this mission is over.
He's always going to be there.
On our way to one of our appointments and our investigator called and
tried to cancel, she then called a few minutes later saying we could
still come by..... My companion then proceeded to sing, "we will, we
will, ROCK YOU!" hahahI wish you could meet her to understand why the
things she does and says are so funny, I think it's because of her
cute little spanish accent.
Con amor,
Hermana Brooks
a bunch of Portuguese people, because we did, but we taught so many
lessons like I'm sure they do in Brazil. IT WAS THE BEST!!
We also picked up quite a few investigators this week, 3 of them went
to church. 2 of them are 70 years old and the cutest littlest
Ecuadorean couple, the other is a 40 year old Ecuadorean and he is
really just trying to find the truth. So it was fast and testimony
day... Yes, I testified...... Yes, I cried..... BUT the oldy man and
the younger one apparently bore their own testimonies during
Priesthood too... Yeah we are still picking up our jaws from that one.
Blessings!! Probably going to be the oldest people we baptize on our
missions.
I'm sorry I don't update on all our gators, it is just impossible with
the time I have, but I will tell you about a cool experience we had
with one this week:
Nereda. She is the investigator we picked up who had the picture of
the temple on her wall. She's just awesome and still looking for
something to satisfy her spiritual needs. This week we had a way cool
experience with her. We were sharing the "He is the gift" video (check
it out: christmas.mormon.org) and talking about the plan of salvation.
She had so many great questions like how can she fast the "right" way,
but more importantly how can she pray the right way. One of my
favorite parts of lessons is hearing people pray, it's a beautiful
thing. She was stumbling a little through her prayer laughing at
herself and then she got super quiet and sincere. At the end of the
prayer we say amen and she is crying... She then asked us what the
feeling that she was feeling was....... Never in my entire mission has
one of my investigators received a confirmation that fast. The whole
rest of the night I was thanking Heavenly Father for that experience.
Can you remember the first time you received a confirmation that God
is there and that He is listening to YOU? Wasn't that amazing?
Being with such short time left out here I have been doing a lot of
reflecting.... Like a lot. One thing that keeps sticking out to me is
something a departing missionary had said right when I got here.
"You'll look back at your 18 months and realize He was right there
beside the entire time." Here I am, not quite there yet, but it
couldn't have been more true.He was there filling my mouths with words
of a language I didn't know how to speak. He was there when a random
guy looked me in the eyes and told me there was no such thing as
Joseph Smith. He was there when He watched our investigators enter in
the waters of baptism. He was there every mile when it bought I might
die of heatstroke on my bike. He was there in my successful moments
and gave me strength in my difficult moments. I'm sooooo grateful I
have had this opportunity to walk with Him. And the greatest part?
He's never going to leave me alone, even when this mission is over.
He's always going to be there.
On our way to one of our appointments and our investigator called and
tried to cancel, she then called a few minutes later saying we could
still come by..... My companion then proceeded to sing, "we will, we
will, ROCK YOU!" hahahI wish you could meet her to understand why the
things she does and says are so funny, I think it's because of her
cute little spanish accent.
Con amor,
Hermana Brooks